According to eyewitness reports, Sam Rowley was descending Blowingstone Hill in a northbound direction during the Oxfordshire Classic 100 sportive and overshot the give way line at the crossroads with the B4507. He emerged into the path of a Vauxhall Zafira driven by a woman who sustained minor injuries. The descent is reportedly notorious among local riders for posing risks if not ridden with care.
During an inquest held in March 2017, coroner Darren Salter criticised Oxfordshire County Council for the fact that shrubs had been allowed to obscure a give way sign, but said that there was ultimately a “shared responsibility” between Southern Marshalling, whose signage he said was “insufficient”, and Bike Events, whose risk assessment was said to be “not fit for purpose”. He recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision.